Search found 670 matches

by Jim McConkey
Sun Aug 12, 2012 4:25 pm
Forum: Wind, Percussion, and Miscellaneous and Experimental Instruments
Topic: What to do with these 6 old flutes...
Replies: 3
Views: 7312

Re: What to do with these 6 old flutes...

Send them all to me for proper disposal! Those seem to be some old flutes. Other than for traditional Irish music, the few-keyed wooden flutes were only popular until the mid-1800s, when Boehm came out with the more recognized metal flutes with more keys. For the unmarked ones, check for imprinted l...
by Jim McConkey
Fri Aug 10, 2012 12:07 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Custom 5-String Bass - First build
Replies: 7
Views: 6283

Re: Custom 5-String Bass - First build

Great looking bass, Chuck! I love the sandwiching. Did your planer do all the work of truing up the faces before gluing? Congratulations on a wonder first build. As Ellie used to say, "Build more!"
by Jim McConkey
Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:55 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Savart Mandolin
Replies: 11
Views: 10914

Re: Savart Mandolin

I'm a big fan of large soldering irons or halogen lamps in the pipe rather than blazing flames. We have a number of discussions on building pipe benders in our Library.
by Jim McConkey
Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:51 pm
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Tulip Poplar?
Replies: 21
Views: 14398

Re: Tulip Poplar?

Conley, we require full, real names here. Please PM any of the moderators with your full name so we can change your login. Thanks!
by Jim McConkey
Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:10 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Ergonomic bass designs
Replies: 16
Views: 15587

Re: Ergonomic bass designs

Twisted necks have been discussed here extensively. Louie Atienza posted a jig for making them not too far back.
by Jim McConkey
Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:06 am
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Savart Mandolin
Replies: 11
Views: 10914

Re: Savart Mandolin

A Savart-style mandolin starts approaching a balalaika with doubled strings. You might want to investigate those. I have seen round, oval, rectangular, guitar-shaped, gourd-backed, and banjo mandolins. A triangular box is not that far out there! Just keep the box volume about what a "normal&quo...
by Jim McConkey
Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:39 pm
Forum: Bowed Stringed Instruments and Bows
Topic: Piano Wood Violin
Replies: 25
Views: 32161

Re: Piano Wood Violin

Ack! No sunbursts! Looks great as it is, and the lamination line only gives it character. I love it! What a great way to make the best of an undesirable situation.
by Jim McConkey
Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:58 pm
Forum: Jam Session
Topic: Pianos at the dump--
Replies: 17
Views: 16306

Re: Pianos at the dump--

They already have, Clay! Probably the majority of churches are now getting digital organs for all the same reasons. The newest electronic church organs are extremely sophisticated and use all the latest wind pipe modeling technology. Sometimes they keep old pipes just for looks, and stick a big spea...
by Jim McConkey
Wed Jul 25, 2012 2:05 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Gibson ES-335 Artisan
Replies: 3
Views: 4023

Re: Gibson ES-335 Artisan

Welcome to the MIMF, Angelodp, but please note that require full names here. Please leave us your name or PM any of the moderators and we will change your login. Have a look around. Be sure to have a look in the Archtop section - there is a discussion there right now about cutting F holes in an exis...
by Jim McConkey
Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:11 am
Forum: Wind, Percussion, and Miscellaneous and Experimental Instruments
Topic: Whistles/flutes/recorders--Why is the bore round instead of square?
Replies: 11
Views: 18714

Re: Whistles/flutes/recorders--Why is the bore round instead of square?

Someone here made a serpent a few years back from laminated plywood, essentially given a square bore. The air flow is not as consistent in a square bore as a round one - there is more "dead" air in the corners - so the timbre will change subtly. Almost any shape bore will work, and on flut...
by Jim McConkey
Sat Jul 21, 2012 9:53 pm
Forum: Wind, Percussion, and Miscellaneous and Experimental Instruments
Topic: Voicing, windway, fipple, tone holes and undercutting
Replies: 39
Views: 45418

Re: Voicing, windway, fipple, tone holes and undercutting

The first thing you need to understand is that NONE of the available calculators are perfect. NONE of them. And none of your materials will be absolutely perfect. When building good wind instruments you cannot go on preset measurements alone. You have to make the instrument a little long with holes ...
by Jim McConkey
Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:10 pm
Forum: Wind, Percussion, and Miscellaneous and Experimental Instruments
Topic: Voicing, windway, fipple, tone holes and undercutting
Replies: 39
Views: 45418

Re: Voicing, windway, fipple, tone holes and undercutting

If I were you, I would stick to simple side blown flutes until you get the voicing procedure down. Don't complicate the process with fipples, etc. until you know how to get the pitches correct. And don't even worry about minor details like undercutting the fingerholes. Until you get the rest down, u...
by Jim McConkey
Fri Jun 22, 2012 11:18 am
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Does anyone know where I can get instructions on building a dulcimer from start to finish
Replies: 18
Views: 14267

Re: Does anyone know where I can get instructions on building a dulcimer from start to finish

+1 on Kimball's book. It tells you everything you need. I will somewhat disagree with Clay on the guitar building books. Some of the construction techniques are similar, but choice of woods can be significantly different. IMHO guitar woods make for a very dull and uninteresting dulcimer.
by Jim McConkey
Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:58 pm
Forum: Jam Session
Topic: US west coast places of interest (guitar, mandolin, fiddle...)?
Replies: 16
Views: 17449

Re: US west coast places of interest (guitar, mandolin, fiddle...)?

If you pass through San Francisco, Frank Ford's Gryphon Stringed Instruments is just to the south in Palo Alto, where I went to school (but didn't know who he was at the time!).
by Jim McConkey
Mon Jun 18, 2012 6:55 pm
Forum: Jam Session
Topic: When do you decide to simply buy an instrument?
Replies: 25
Views: 26182

Re: When do you decide to simply buy an instrument?

It is a tradeoff, and the tradeoff parameters are very personal. When I wanted an octave mandolin/cittern/bouzouki, I quickly found that even the low-end models were relatively expensive and not all that good. Unlike Simon's experience, my first attempt at one FAR exceeded the quality of the cheaper...
by Jim McConkey
Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:25 pm
Forum: Electronics
Topic: Dead transformer
Replies: 8
Views: 7335

Re: Dead transformer

The *2 probably means the transformer is center tapped, and there is 19.5 VAC from the center to either side. Normally the center is grounded and the two coils feed opposite sides of a full-wave rectifier. 19.5 VAC might not be standard, but 20 VAC certainly is. Try Digikey, Jameco, etc.
by Jim McConkey
Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:06 pm
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Brainstorming for a simple guitar for practicing on
Replies: 39
Views: 25852

Re: Brainstorming for a simple guitar for practicing on

Matthew, nearly everything has been up and running for months now. Even the Library is back on line now. If there is something that is not working correctly, please PM any moderator or leave a detailed description in the Soundhole for us.
by Jim McConkey
Tue Jun 05, 2012 12:42 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: 4th one is done
Replies: 9
Views: 9923

Re: 4th one is done

Four weeks, and worth every minute of it. That finish looks great! Seems like an awful lot of controls for a bass, though.

One old trick to the patience problem is to have multiple projects going at once. You can apply a coat to one instrument, then go work on the fretboard of another.
by Jim McConkey
Fri May 25, 2012 2:13 pm
Forum: Wind, Percussion, and Miscellaneous and Experimental Instruments
Topic: Side-blown horn
Replies: 12
Views: 14720

Re: Side-blown horn

Playing a didgeridoo is not unlike playing a trumpet or trombone, except the embouchure is much looser, more like a tuba. In the end it is flapping lips substituting for a reed as John suggested. That explains the large hole. At first I thought it would be blown like a flute.
by Jim McConkey
Fri May 25, 2012 1:17 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: New Irish Bouzouki / Octave Mandolin
Replies: 23
Views: 22288

Re: New Irish Bouzouki / Octave Mandolin

Jon, not to preempt Ron's answer, but it appears beveled and someone in the MIMF did a tutorial on how to do it a while back. As soon as the Library makes its grand reappearance, it should be available.

Ron, don't let that stop you from telling all about it here!

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